Name of organization: Cultural Center DamaD, Serbia
Description of organization: Cultural Centre DamaD is a non-governmental organization whose mission is affirmation of a culture of dialogue and of human rights through creative work in the local community and beyond.
Project description: Their project focused on youth from seven towns of multiethnic and multi-religious Sandzak region of southwest Serbia and aimed to contribute to empowering them with leadership skills to be used in addressing local community issues that are directly affecting them.
Report on recent developments for Cultural Centre DamaD
Youth Recommendations were presented to Serbian state and local officials and non-government organizations at a Regional Forum for interethnic dialogue on November 30 in an attempt to gain greater recognition and integration of young people in intercultural, interfaith and interethnic dialogue. The Regional Forum was organized by Cultural Centre DamaD, one of six recipients of the Youth Solidarity Fund in 2008 for their project entitle Interethnic Youth Alliance (IYA). This project was implemented in 2008 and 2009 across 7 multiethnic and multi-religious localities in Sandzak region of southwest Serbia. The IYA held this Regional Forum as a way to promote and strengthen interethnic and inter-religious communication and cooperation and build on its work to date. Attendees representing the 7 localities were in attendance.
The local municipality of Novi Pazar strongly supported the event, with the Mayor being a key note speaker at the youth event and regional forum. The Embassy of Germany in Serbia and the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe financially supported the regional forum. In addition to State Ministers and mayors from surrounding districts, representatives at the event included German Ambassador Wolfram Maas, Czech Ambassador Hana Hubackova, Japanese Ambassador Toshio Tsunozaki, Turkish Ambassador Ali Riza Colak, Danish Ambassador Mette Kjuel Nielsen, Swedish Ambassador Christer Asp, Norwegian Ambassador Nils Ragnar Kamsvag, Austrian Ambassador Clemens Koja, OSCE Ambassador Dimitrios Kypreos, and U.S. Ambassador Mary Burce Warlick.
The preceding day, 36 young people representing the Interethnic Youth Alliance had worked tirelessly to create agreed recommendations about their right and capacity to be part of decisions and actions in the movement for intercultural dialogue. Representatives from the Interethnic Youth Alliance gained support from Regional Forum attendees for their recommendations.
The recommendations call for a focused effort to support youth participation in interethnic and intercultural dialogue at governmental and grass-roots levels. Recommendations included the establishment of local youth councils for interethnic and intercultural dialogue, specific intercultural programs and projects, and in general adopting a partnership approach to working with young people and civil society organizations.
They also recognized the policy context within which they were operating, including:
• Serbia’s constitutional commitment to respect human rights and freedoms, as outlined in international laws, declarations and resolutions;
• the “European Charter on youth participation in social life at the local level”
• the National Strategy of the Republic of Serbia and its Plan of Action for Youth
• the “Regional Strategy for South Eastern Europe” of United Nations Alliance of Civilizations
The Interethnic Youth Alliance was established in 2008. This Regional Forum demonstrates how Youth Solidarity Fund projects can develop over time to have significant influence on policy and practice related to intercultural dialogue. IYA has continued to grow since its inception and its work has gone from strength to strength. The Cultural Centre DamaD has managed to leverage and source various other funding opportunities to support the ongoing development and actions of the Alliance. IYA currently has around 150 current members.
Interethnic Youth Alliance
Report on recent developments for Cultural Centre DamaD
Youth Recommendations were presented to Serbian state and local officials and non-government organizations at a Regional Forum for interethnic dialogue on November 30 in an attempt to gain greater recognition and integration of young people in intercultural, interfaith and interethnic dialogue. The Regional Forum was organized by Cultural Centre DamaD, one of six recipients of the Youth Solidarity Fund in 2008 for their project entitle Interethnic Youth Alliance (IYA). This project was implemented in 2008 and 2009 across 7 multiethnic and multi-religious localities in Sandzak region of southwest Serbia. The IYA held this Regional Forum as a way to promote and strengthen interethnic and inter-religious communication and cooperation and build on its work to date. Attendees representing the 7 localities were in attendance.
The local municipality of Novi Pazar strongly supported the event, with the Mayor being a key note speaker at the youth event and regional forum. The Embassy of Germany in Serbia and the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe financially supported the regional forum. In addition to State Ministers and mayors from surrounding districts, representatives at the event included German Ambassador Wolfram Maas, Czech Ambassador Hana Hubackova, Japanese Ambassador Toshio Tsunozaki, Turkish Ambassador Ali Riza Colak, Danish Ambassador Mette Kjuel Nielsen, Swedish Ambassador Christer Asp, Norwegian Ambassador Nils Ragnar Kamsvag, Austrian Ambassador Clemens Koja, OSCE Ambassador Dimitrios Kypreos, and U.S. Ambassador Mary Burce Warlick.
The preceding day, 36 young people representing the Interethnic Youth Alliance had worked tirelessly to create agreed recommendations about their right and capacity to be part of decisions and actions in the movement for intercultural dialogue. Representatives from the Interethnic Youth Alliance gained support from Regional Forum attendees for their recommendations.
The recommendations call for a focused effort to support youth participation in interethnic and intercultural dialogue at governmental and grass-roots levels. Recommendations included the establishment of local youth councils for interethnic and intercultural dialogue, specific intercultural programs and projects, and in general adopting a partnership approach to working with young people and civil society organizations.
They also recognized the policy context within which they were operating, including:
• Serbia’s constitutional commitment to respect human rights and freedoms, as outlined in international laws, declarations and resolutions;
• the “European Charter on youth participation in social life at the local level”
• the National Strategy of the Republic of Serbia and its Plan of Action for Youth
• the “Regional Strategy for South Eastern Europe” of United Nations Alliance of Civilizations
The Interethnic Youth Alliance was established in 2008. This Regional Forum demonstrates how Youth Solidarity Fund projects can develop over time to have significant influence on policy and practice related to intercultural dialogue. IYA has continued to grow since its inception and its work has gone from strength to strength. The Cultural Centre DamaD has managed to leverage and source various other funding opportunities to support the ongoing development and actions of the Alliance. IYA currently has around 150 current members.